All's Fair in Love and War: A Midnighter's Fanfic
by Ruby Thorn
Summary: What happened when Rex and Melissa were 12? How did they not know Dess was one of them? How did Rex's dad go crazy? Find all the answers in All's Fair in Love in War. I DO NOT OWN MIDNIGHTERS!
1. Spiders

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN REX GREENE MELISSA OR ANYTHING IN MIDNGIHTERS (sadly)!!!!**

Chapter One:

_Rex Greene wished he could die._

The tarantulas were on him _again_, there by the choice of a raving mad drunk who society would deem the sophisticated title of Rex's won father.

This man was, in fact, there in the room with him right now, watching and even causing his torture, and at this moment the man was screaming at the top of his lungs, "Stop trembling boy or so help me I'll _never_ take them off!!!"

The thing was, Rex Greene could _not_ stop trembling. The spiders were _on him_, crawling _on him_, their hairy legs making his bare skin itch and burn, their beady eyes fixed on him as if sending fear. They were finding a lot of that too ad his father's words weren't he;ping much either. Rex's lip was bleeding from where he was biting his lip to keep from screaming or crying. That would anger his father and anything that would anger the old drunk would turn out bad for him.

Of course, his dad would never hurt him with his precious arachnids dancing on Rex's bare skin, but it was what would surely come when he took them off that frightened Rex. For something would surely come next. The spiders always came first to strike fear in Rex's heart and then the infamous beating after, the one that would make Timmy Hudson feel like a pillow.

But Rex was so petrified by the hairy creatures that he didn't even care about later. He was thinking of the_ now_, and that involved creatures crawling over him and a loony alcoholic.

Only one thought kept him from giving up and crying, which would most likely give in a one way ticket to the emergency room.

_Melissa._

She was what gave him his unknown strength in these dark hours of his collapsing life.

_Melissa._

Saying the name over and over in his mind made him feel like she was there with him, helping him, like friends would do.

_Melissa._

And saying the name once more Rex waited out the now, and awaited the later that would surely come.


	2. Breakdown

**Disclaimer: I do not own Midnighters.**

Chapter Two:

Melissa smiled as the shudder of blue rippled through her bedroom. Her headache subsided; the loud metal power chords twanging in her ears became silent. She pulled the headphones off and rolled off her bed, falling to the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief and opened her mind to Bixby's silence. Melissa relished the silence, savoring the moments when her mind wasn't invaded. Only one thought she heard clearly.

_Rex's._

_And he was in pain._

Melissa gasped and stood up.

Did darklings get him? Was he stuck in some ditch? Mugged by some loser?

She grabbed her headphones, shoved it in her pocket, and crashed outside. Melissa breathed in the silent air of Bixby and, stripping off her coat, started sprinting in the direction of Rex's house.

As she ran, the worried thoughts clustered in her mind subsided slightly and she stuck her tongue out to the air. Something was out there, she could taste it. But it wasn't the bitter taste of a darkling. Melissa shoved the possibility out of her mind that another person in town was awake; it was just her and Rex. Maybe it was the remains of a terrible nightmare.

Melissa's chest was bursting. Even though the air was thick and warm in the blue time, the air bite into her chest and caused a pain in her lungs. As she ran she saw flashes of slithers in the edge of her vision. One even dared to try to slither in front of her until it met its end under her steel-toed boots.

_The she heard a crashing noise coming straight at her._

She stifled a gasp and narrowed her eyes, pulling a knife from her pocket as she rushed on. Rex and she had found that steel scared darklings and slithers more then anything else they had tried. Now _that _was a painful journey they had had to take to learn that scrap of useful knowledge.

She waited, senses acute, her mind searching for a clue as to what the creature was. She tasted the air again and took a moment to make sure she was right before she called, "Rex?!"

The footsteps that were coming closer became louder too and finally Rex Greene pushed through the brush and fell on the ground in front of Melissa.

Melissa grinned. She couldn't mistake his flavor with anyone else's no matter how hard she tried.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling his pain in a greater was now that he was with her. Something was wrong. Rex had a scared aura around him, she sensed, and that was just unlike Rex in the blue time.

"Did a darkling attack?" she asked, curious.

Rex took a few deep breathes on the ground before looking up at her. Melissa gasped.

On Rex's pale cheek was a glistening bruise that Melissa could have sworn had not been there during school. No wonder his mind tasted like he was in pain.

Unknown emotions roiled inside Melissa. She couldn't stand seeing Rex hurt.

"What did Timmy Hudson do!!!???" she snapped angrily. No darkling or slither could have done this…scratches and cuts were their big thing.

"Not…Timmy…Hudson." Rex panted on the ground. Melissa walked over, thinking about and other human bully that she knew in Rex's life. Finding none in her memories, she stuck a gloved hand out to him.

"Then who was it?" she yelled exasperated as he took her hand and pulled himself up.

Rex brushed himself off first before shaking his head and mumbling, "No one."

Melissa shrieked and, without thinking, slapped Rex. Luckily, it wasn't on the cheek with the bruise but it still sounded like it hurt. Melissa didn't care though.

"NOBODY??? NOBODY!!! REX _SOMEBODY_ DID THIS, NOW TELL ME WHO!!!" she screamed. Stupid Rex. He didn't know how easy it would be to find the answer. When she touched stiffs, she could feel their memories and thoughts. She supposed it would work the same for Rex. She started taking off her glove, one finger at a time.

But her work stopped as she looked at Red. He was touching his cheek where she'd slapped him and tears were streaming down his face.

Melissa's heartbeat stopped for a second.

_What was wrong?_

"OH, Rex I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. Really. You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to." She pleaded, but Rex cried on. He was shaking now, rocking his body from side to side. She reached out to hug him, careful not to come into and contact with any skin. She had promised he wouldn't have to tell her who did it. She would stick to that promise.

As her arms encircled Rex's body, he fell into her, knocking her completely off guard. She stumbled and saw the world falling before a hard smack ran through her body. Two seconds later the pain came.

"Ouch. Rex get off me." She moaned. He was still on top of her on the ground and he was still crying. _What was going on?_

"Rex, it's okay. It's okay." She murmured. Melissa had never experienced Rex crying around her before and didn't know what to do.

She sat up and Rex sat up too and leaned against the rough bark of a nearby tree. He wiped the tears away, careful not to touch his bruise, and smiled wearily.

"Thanks Cowgirl." He muttered.

"Don't mention it." She returned.

He sat there for a few minutes, getting composure of himself and then he looked back up at Melissa.

"I have to get home." He muttered pointing in the general direction of his house. Melissa nodded, still shaken from his outburst.

Rex stood to leave and waved goodbye as he walked into the trees, still wiping tears away.

Melissa turned to go the other way when she stopped and looked back at Rex's retreating back. Something was definitely wrong and Melissa _was_ going to find out what.


	3. Thinking

**Disclaimer: I do not own Midnighters.**

Chapter Three:

Rex got home just as midnight ended. As he crawled thought his window, he breathed a sigh of relief. His father could come storming in at any moment, getting home late could mean serious injury. He touched the bruise on his cheek and grimaced as he remembered the ferocious beating that had occurred tonight. Maybe the old man had had more drinks then usual, or maybe it was because of Rex's refusal to stop shaking during the dreaded tarantula ritual.

Rex shivered at the thought and the cold air that blasted around the room through the open window. He slowly closed the window, praying it would be silent. It, thankfully, was being kind tonight and shut without a rusty protest.

Rex flopped back onto his bed and kicked his boots off, thinking about Melissa. It really was proving hard to keep his father's abuse hidden from her. He remembered with a shudder how she had smacked him for not telling her who had given him the bruise.

Everything after that had been a mixture of repressed emotions that had come out at a really bad time.

Now Melissa was probably wondering what the matter with him was. But it was much better, he decided, then letting her know his secret. That would make her easily angered emotions come forth and god knows what would happen or what she would do.

That would be bad, having her temper come full out. He had only seen a taste of it tonight, Rex thought. But he couldn't tell her. How could he expect her to carry the secret with him? It was too much.

Rex closed hi eyes, dead tired. Every muscle in his tense body screamed at the relaxation. The combination of his beating and running hadn't been a good mix.

But eventually he relaxed totally and fell asleep, glad he was alive another day.

_Another day with Melissa._

Rex opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He sat on his bed for a moment, letting dizziness overcome him for a bit, before standing up and stretching. He looked down and realized he was still fully clothed. And then all the memories of the last night came crashing down on him, Melissa slapping him, the tarantulas, his father. Rex sighed. Sleep was good, you couldn't think in sleep, and even though you dreamed, you usually don't remember them in the morning.

Rex sat back on his bed and wished he could fall asleep again, to not remember.

But he couldn't.

He still had to go to school.

Rex looked over at his clock on the bedside table. The neon numbers read 6:38.

Well, he wasn't late, but he had to be ready and at the bus stop in about ten minutes.

Rex quickly changed into a clean black outfit and stuffed his schoolbooks in his backpack.

Rex checked his clock again.

6.44.

Rex would have to skip breakfast today. He didn't really mind. He usually didn't eat much anyways. There was a lot more he could do with his time. He could read the lore or research Bixby, looking for clues he and Melissa could use to protect them at midnight.

See, there was much better things to do then eat.

Rex swung his backpack over his shoulder and peered out his window. His father's old car was gone. Rex let go of his breath he just realized he's been holding in.

_Rex hated living with this fear._

He went outside into the hall and stepped out into the kitchen. His mom was sitting there having coffee and flipping though some shallow magazine.

Why didn't anyone else in this house but him actually _read_?

"Bye mom." He called.

She looked up from the picture of George Clooney that she'd been ogling at and gave a short wave. As Rex walked out into the sunlight he rolled his eyes.

How did he get stuck with such shallow beings?

Rex knew that everyone couldn't have the same lust for knowledge that he had, he supposed that came from being a seer. That, of course, had given him a reason to test his intellectual boundaries.

But his mother could at least _read_ the magazine, not go gaga over some actor.

He didn't even bother to ponder why his father didn't read. He was mister macho, being a builder and all. And tough people didn't read.

At least that's what Rex gathered from all the lectures he'd gotten about being tough that had been delivered while he'd been under the tarantula's wrath.

But Rex couldn't stop reading. It might just be the only thing that kept him alive in a fight with a darkling. Rex's knowledge about animal behavior and the scraps of knowledge he picked up while in the blue time kept him alive, well, at least when up aganist a darkling. It was ironic really, how knowledge kept him alive in the face of dark creatures but punished him at home.

He thought all these things over in his mind as he walked towards the bus stop on this crisp autumn-turning-to-winter morning. It felt good to escape, for even a little bit, from the house where he was held hostage, Punished for his knowledge, Tortured for his A's. All the knowledge in the world couldn't save him from _that._

As he got on the bus, he shut all thoughts of home down. Melissa was on the bus too, seeing as Bixby was so small only one bus got all the middle school kids, and Rex knew she'd be trying to figure out about his little breakdown. Instead he filled his mind with the book they were reading in school, Tale of Two Cities. He wondered what it would be like to have a guy who looked just like you but totally opposite. Maybe _that _would be the one thing that made his father happy, a tough Rex who never read a thing and liked working out and doing "manly jobs". Maybe _that_ would save him. Maybe that would keep his father at bay. If only that anti-rex was out there and willing to switch lives with him.

If only.

And then he saw Melissa right in front of him, in the back row of the bus, and she was saving a seat for him.

He shut down all thoughts in his mind, hoping that the metal in her ears and the combined forces of the kids on the bus would have made it impossible to hear his thoughts.

It was impossible to not think about home though, especially when a big bruise is stabbing at your cheek, reminding you of it.

"Hey cowgirl." He murmured. He sat down next to her and put his bag on the floor.

"Hey." Melissa muttered. Her eyes were closed and she was clutching her head. Rex took that as a reassurance that his mind was safe. He realized a bit after that, trying not to think. Rex knew he couldn't let her know. He couldn't.

But even though he kept telling himself that, Rex knew that deep down, he wanted Melissa to know to share the burden.

And that made it really hard to not think about what he was trying not to think about, _he knew._


	4. The Strange Girl

Chapter Four:

Melissa blindly walked down the school hallway, Rex guiding her by the elbow. The maelstrom raging from the combined minds of all middle scholars pulsed inside her skull, threatening to drive her into insanity. With her eyes closed she found it was much easier to concentrate on the metal hissing in her ears. The metal drowned out some of the less felt emotions and thoughts.

Melissa sighed. Why had she been made this way? It would be so much easier to be Rex. All he had was screwed up eyes.

Melissa and Re pushed their way to the 7th grade hallway of the school, where their lockers were.

Unfortunately, they had to pass through the 6th grade hallway to get there.

Out of all the grades, 6th graders were the worst. Being young meant that their thoughts were juvenile, but they tried to be older. It wasn't a pretty match.

As they neared the end of the dreaded 6th grade hallway, Melissa felt something. Something…different.

Her eyes snapped open and she tasted the air. A new strong taste filled her mouth. Unlike the taste of the masses, this one had flavor and sharpness instead of a bland, bile taste.

The taste was sharp, but not bitter, and it had the feeling of a computer chip, a fast, hard-working computer chip. And it was all radiating from a 6th grade girl walking by them. Melissa stopped to stare and Rex looked at her, confused, before following her gaze. He gasped.

"Melissa." He whispered after a moment, "She has the Focus."

He took his glasses off and put them back on again a few times, checking. He nodded with finality. "She's got the Focus."

The Focus, plus the strange, powerful taste on the girl was putting Melissa's mind in frenzy. The girl certainly didn't look Midnighter.

She was plain for one thing, didn't stand out among the crowds like she and Rex, but rather blended in. Her blonde hair hung long down her back and she wore simple jeans and a Mathcounts! T-shirt.

The only thing remarkable about her was her piercing grey eyes that flashed from one thing to the next with a curious, intelligent gaze.

Melissa reached out her mind and felt the girl's whirring with thoughts and ideas. The girl, who Melissa found out, was named Dess, felt smart.

Rex was still staring, open-mouthed.

"Melissa could she be one of us?" he asked, barely hiding the excitement in his voice.

Melissa shook her head and looked at the girl again. "No Rex, she isn't. She can't be. She blends in with the crowd. She's like everyone else, unlike us." She explained, believing herself more and more with each word uttered.

Rex's face fell slightly. "But, what about the Focus?" he asked.

"She probably was touched last night. It'll wear off." Melissa sighed. There was no way another Midnighter could be in town. No way.

"But I could have sworn…The Focus…" Rex mumbled.

"The Focus?" yelped a voice behind them. "The Focus!"

Melissa and Rex whirled around to find Timmy Hudson standing behind them. Melissa could feel fear rising in Rex's mind. She remembered the bruise one his face and wondered, once more, if it had been the handiwork of Timmy.

"Did you hear that?" Timmy hooted to his cronies. "Rexy here has "the Focus."

Rex was in total shock right now, petrified by fear. Melissa could feel her anger building.

Timmy Hudson suddenly reached out and snatched Rex's spectacles off his face.

"Oooooooh. Rexy can't Focus now!!" he mocked, throwing the glasses to the ground.

"Give them back!" Rex feebly demanded in a weak voice. Hearing Rex in such a pitiful way made Melissa's chest swell with fury. Nobody hurt Rex!

"I don't think I will." Timmy sneered and he slowly lifted his foot over the glasses as if daring Rex to do anything about him smashing them. Melissa boiled over.

She reached out and smacked Timmy across the face, all her restraint letting go. Nobody hurt Rex!

Unfortunately for her, though, Timmy wasn't fussy about hitting girls.

He turned to her and slapped her back, rage showing on his face at the thought of a_ girl_ touching him.

At the quick second of contact Melissa could feel his insecurity about himself and how he wanted to be dominant over Rex. To crush him. Melissa cried out and slammed back against the lockers, the force of gravity pushed her to the ground.

Rex looked at her, his eyes filled with pain and fright and he looked back to Timmy.

"Stop it!" he pleaded.

Timmy Hudson's reply was to take Rex by the collar and push him up aganist the lockers next to her.

"Don't ever tell me what to do, got it?!" Timmy snarled meanly.

The scared look on Rex's face was so sad it frightened Melissa.

Rex nodded, looking about to cry.

Timmy's eyes narrowed and he slapped Rex on the cheek with the bruise. Rex winced in pain.

"Are you sure?" Timmy growled.

Rex nodded weakly, defeated.

Timmy let go of Rex and wiped his hands on his jeans as if Rex were disgusting. As he walked away he grinned demonically at Rex and Melissa.

Melissa bottled up her rage, feeling it slip away, and helped her and Rex to their feet. She picked up Rex's glasses and handed them to him.

"You Okay?" she asked.

Rex nodded as he put his glasses on.

Melissa could feel her muscles straining to rise, to shake sense into him, but instead she forced them down and growled, "Say something you loser! Don't just nod." In an undertone she added, "It shows fear."

Rex stared funnily at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat and weakly mumbling, "I'm fine."

"You Sure?"

Rex began to nod before stopping himself and murmuring, "I'm sure."

Melissa nodded, satisfied. As she and Rex began to walk down the hallway to their lockers she muttered, "That looked like it hurt.", while pointing to his cheek.

Rex glanced at her suspiciously for a second before laughing wryly, "I'm used to worse."

That didn't particularly brighten Melissa's day, thinking about what else Timmy did to Rex, but Rex hadn't been crying like last night so she guessed this hadn't been so painful.

Come to think of it, it wasn't very pleasant knowing that you hurt your best friend more then a bully did. But for now things were alright and Rex and Melissa walked down the hallway all thoughts of the strange girl out of their heads.


	5. Alone

Chapter Five:

Rex sat down in his usual place in the back corner of the classroom. He was in his favorite class, History, but today he wasn't in the mood for learning about the past. He was more important things to worry about in the present.

_Melissa's control was slipping more and more each day._

It had started last night with her hitting him and now she was going against the fearsome Timmy Hudson.

It scared Rex.

Was everyone he knew going to try to hurt him?

He laid his head back against the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

He had so much to think about. His life was spiraling downward. Melissa was loosing herself, which was really freaking him out. He wondered if she would be better in a week of if this would go on forever. He hoped for the first one.

His father was becoming more and more brutal by the day; soon Rex knew that something seriously terrible would happen to him. And Timmy Hudson was mentally destroying Rex too. He was hurt emotionally, physically and mentally. Rex felt dead. The only thing that stayed steady was the knowledge he accumulated so he clung to that small victory.

He pushed himself back up the chair as the bell rang for the beginning of the dreaded school day. He was so glad that Melissa wasn't in this class with him. He needed to thing without worrying about her snooping.

He looked around at the perfectly normal kids around with him, wondering if their lives were as confusing as his. He bet all his savings ($16.81) on the answer no.

He bet nobody else had an insane friend, and abusive father and a revengeful bully, only him.

He had never felt as lonely as he did then.

He needed to get off these depressing topics. He turned his thoughts to that girl with the Focus in the hall. What if Melissa was wrong? What if another Midnighter was in town? What talent would she have? He sure hoped she wouldn't be another mindcaster.

Even though frolicking around with Melissa at midnight was fun, they needed all the help they could get if they were going to crack midnight's code.

"Rex, are you listening?"

The teacher's voice split though Rex's bubble of thought. He glanced up at her. She flinched when she was the bruise on his cheek.

"Rex, do you feel okay?"

He stared at her, trying to understand what she was thinking? Was she wondering where the bruise came from? He hoped not. He already had a mindcaster digging in his life, he didn't need adults either.

"I'm fine." He answered coolly.

She nodded and asked "What's the First Amendment of the Constitution then?

Rex stared at her. "Um, the freedom of speech?" he guessed.

"Very good." The teacher nodded. Rex leaned back in his chair again.

Someone in front of him turned around, someone whose name he couldn't quite recall. She fixed him with a steely glare and he finally recognized it as Constanza Greyfoot. He ignored the comment and focused on the teacher. He had spent enough time in his head for one period, thank you very much!


	6. Touch

Chapter Six:

Melissa sighed as she sat down at lunch. She leaned her chair back against the wall behind her and turned her music up louder. She looked back at Rex and saw him staring off into space, his thoughts full of sadness, pain, and…

Suddenly, Rex caught himself and thought about something else, like the gross cafeteria food he was poking at.

Melissa narrowed her eyes. Rex was hiding things from her, and she hated it when people did that.

"What's wrong?" she murmured.

Rex looked up, startled, and she read, _Just thinking about a quiz_, pass over his lips. She nodded, tasting a lie on her tongue; she nearly gagged at the salty taste.

_Something wrong?_ He asked looking concerned.

Melissa shook her head quickly and sat forward ion her chair. She snatched an apple off rex's untouched tray and bit down on it, savoring the juice running in her mouth. Her pleasure overcame her headache for a brief moment.

She took another bite, wanting more release.

"So…" she said her mouth full. "Where'd you get the bruise from?"

Rex glanced at her before murmuring, "I told you, nowhere."

Melissa glared at him. "Rex, we both know you don't get bruises from nowhere." She could feel Rex's mind revolting aganist the question while also trying to cover up the answer.

"I can't tell you." He finally returned.

"Why?" she probed.

"Long story." Rex shook his head. Melissa had to bite in her lip to keep from screaming.

"I can find out for myself." Melissa threatened through clenched teeth.

Rex gave her a funny look. Then his eyes turned to her hand, which was gloved, for the moment. His eyes widened and fright raced through his mind. "No." he breathed.

"Tell me." She commanded her need to know and anger overcoming all other emotions.

Rex shook his head. "No." he moaned again.

Melissa heard a roaring in her ears that had nothing to do with the music screaming lyrics. She was _so _mad.

"Rex, tell me _now_!" she growled.

"No!" Rex was inching away from her staring with wide eyes.

"You leave me no choice then." Melissa snarled. She ripped off her glove and lunged at Rex, making him push his chair backwards in revolt. She connected with the bare skin on his arm and thoughts flooded through her.

_Somebody was hurting Rex._

_Somebody that wasn't Timmy Hudson._

_Someone that was closer to him._

_Someone he didn't want Melissa to know._

_Rex was in pain!_

But before Melissa could find out who the mystery person was, the connection between them was broken,

Rex had stood up and ran out of the cafeteria, pale as death, betrayal pounding with his brain, along with pity for her. She hadn't known he would have heard her thoughts too.

But Rex was in danger!

She didn't know who caused it, but when she did…

_Nobody hurt Rex._


	7. Sick

Chapter Seven:

Rex hurried down the hall, crashing into people and water fountains on the way. But did he notice? No. His mind was preoccupied.

_Melissa had touched him._

He could feel her pain, all the head noise the school gave her, all her denial about the girl with the Focus, her curiosity about him and _his_ life.

_Everything._

He felt sick. He had known that when people touched her she could feel their thoughts, but he never would have thought that _he _could read _hers_.

And she had read his thoughts.

He knew that she probably found out about his ever going conflict with his dear old man.

He knew she was bound to do something about it.

He _never_ would have guessed that she _hadn't _found out about his secret.

_Never._

He felt sick.

About three minutes later he _was_ sick. When he dragged himself down to the nurse's office he felt weak. He had a huge headache, his stomach hurt, and he had just puked.

_Great. Just fine and dandy._

As he walked into the nurse's office he plopped down onto the chair. The nurse, Mrs. Thomas, was on the phone with somebody. She glanced up at him, gave him a quick look over, before muttering into the phone, "Hang on, I've got a sick one. I'll call you back after."

She slammed the phone down on the hook and swiveled in her chair to look at him.

"What happened?" she asked. Mrs. Thomas was young with shoulder length blonde dyed hair and cold grey eyes. Rex didn't liker her much.

"I puked." He answered simply.

"You look pale." She answered. "Let me check your temperature."

She opened a drawer in her desk and brought out a thermometer. She stuck it in Rex's mouth and pushed a button. About ten seconds later she whipped it out of his mouth again.

She glanced down and whistled softly. "101.3" she murmured. "We better get you home."

_Oh no. Sickness was weakness!_

"No, I feel much better now." Rex cried.

Mrs. Thomas gave him a funny look before mumbling, "Aren't kids supposed to want to stay home these days?" to herself before turning back to Rex.

"Sorry sweetie, its protocol. Over 99 and we got to send you home."

_Sickness was weakness, weakness meant spiders!_


	8. Memories

Chapter Eight:

Melissa stood outside the school building once the bell rang for the blissful end of the day. Pleasure at long last.

She leaned against the brick wall of the school and leaned her head back. Rex hadn't been in school all day. She tasted the air once more just to check. She nodded to herself. No where to be found. She opened her eyes and looked around. Kids were trudging through the school gardens, a few choosing the more humane route of the sidewalks, to rush to their buses. There was Constanza Greyfoot surrounded by her peppy friends Jen, Liz and Leah. They were going on and on about some shopping _adventure_. Yeah right. Melissa closed her eyes again and took her adventure into her mind. She had a ton to think about.

She decided to walk home today, which would give her more time to think things through. She needed to sort through her memories and find something that might help her piece together Rex's secret. Melissa waited for what felt like forever until most of the middle school kids had left to go home before beginning her walk.

Melissa thought back to when Rex and she had first met. She had found him in his yard, wandering around, dazed and talking to himself. Melissa forgot what it was exactly that he was saying; only that he thought the frozen world was a dream.

And then he had seen her and nearly fainted, her in those stupid pink pajamas with those stupid cowgirls lassoing on it.

The next morning, Melissa had thought that Rex was a dream, until she saw him at school the next day. They had been best friends since.

Nothing there triggered any inner stop signs that pointed to Rex's mystery bully.

"The next year or two were just hazy recollections of exploring midnight, killing their first darkling, finding and memorizing the lore and becoming better friends. Melissa tried to bring the hazy shapes of thoughts back but couldn't. She supposed that nothing really important had happened during that time that would trigger her "inner Rex sensor" so to speak.

Melissa finally arrived home, still trying to piece together the puzzle. Without so much as a passive hello to the parentals, she locked herself up in her room and sifted through her blurry mind. She thought as she dutifully did her homework (even though it was Friday and she had the whole weekend to do it), tidied her room (to give her something to do) and read a book. It was a book she unwillingly read, she didn't usually read (that was Rex's job), but it gave her body something to do while her mind wandered. On the plus side, she could use it for the end of term book reports instead of using Spark Notes. It was a book on cloning and the scientists torturously tested on animals instead of humans (which made Melissa convert to vegetarianism). The scientists were most interested in copying the spider, seeing as it had eight legs and if they could get all eight legs it would be a huge break threw!

Then a memory crashed distinctively into Melissa's head. Two years ago, Re and her had walked down the street as she shamelessly tested her talents. She recalled that every time something miserable was said, Rex would tremble like a leaf.

And then he innocently reached for her hand.

Melissa distinctly remembered a feeling of itchy hairy legs crawling on her and a feeling of fear, coming directly from Rex's mind.

_Tarantulas were on his mind._

_Tarantulas._

And then Melissa remembered picking up rex in the blue time, once long ago, and walking across the threshold of the house and past a teranium of tarantulas, his father's tarantulas.

_Somebody was hurting Rex._

_Someone who wasn't Timmy Hudson._

_Someone closer to Rex._

That someone was Rex's father.

"Oh my gosh." Melissa whispered.


	9. Dream

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Midnighters.**

Chapter Nine:

Rex wearily got into the car as his mother came to pick him up from school. That was a relief, at least, that she had picked him up. Rex felt terrible, and he was almost positive terrible things would happen to him soon.

Rex's mom drove him home in her grossly pink car while she probed him about why he felt sick. He said it must have been something at lunch, which was partially true, he just didn't say a deranged telepathic girl had broken into his mind and quite possibly could have found all his well-hidden secrets.

His mom would have him sent to the asylum faster then you could blink.

Rex watched his mom as he carefully and skillfully avoided her questions; she had a worried look in her eye. Rex guessed she knew what would happen too.

Then why in the world did she not o anything to help him. He could not think of one tie when she'd gotten into one of the fights, not once.

Rex was so tired of that.

He leaned back against the leather seats and closed his eyes. Melissa's angry face swam before him, contorted with rage, intent on tearing open his mind. _Not a pretty picture._

He forced the pixture to shatter into pixels and banished it from his thoughts. Melissa dissolved and he thought instead of history class. Joy could be found there at least.

Shortly, they arrived home. His father's car wasn't there yet, but it was only about 1 o' clock. He only had about six more hours of non-painful moment.

Unfortionatly, his mother decided not to give him that luxery. She sent him off to bed and closed the door behind her after promising to be quiet. The door slammed with a sickening SNAP, which reminded Rex of a prison door shutting on a prisoner.

Rex kicked his boots off and fell onto his pillows. He shut his eyes and was asleep in seconds.

He had the strangest dream.

And old hag was chasing him with crooked, outstretched hands and a ccruel smile. She was beggin him for one brush against his bare skin. It struck fear in Rex's heart, the thought of those outstretched hands touching him, so he ran. Eventually he lost her.

Then Rex ran into a huge giant, who crushed Rex and left him bleeding on the floor.

And the hag had caught up with him and was touching him. Over and over she touched him and she whispered in his ear, "Rex. Rex…"

Rex's eyes flew open and he jumped at the hazy form of Melissa bending over him, his open window blowing cold air throughout the room.

"Melissa what are you…"

But she put a gloved finger over his lips and whispered, "Helping you silly."

"How…"

She smiled and hissed, "You'll see."

Rex gaxed into her eyes and saw malice and rage in them and her smile held a demonic air.

He realized that this must be about his father. She must have thought about it since lunch and decided on a plan.

But then his mind flashed to her recent episodes of anger, her hitting him, her hitting Timmy, and the anger in her now unnerved him…

"Melissa, no, go away."

Her eyes narrowed and she bent lower to him. She breathed warm air on his neck as she whispered "Make me," before a loud banging in the hall to his room interrupted them. Rex quickly checked his clock.

It read 7:12.

He'd slept for six hours. His father was already home.

"Melissa get under the bed." He hissed.

elissa looked at him and looked towards the closed door. "No." she snarled.

"Melissa, _get down there_." He ordered in an undertone.

She glanced at him and back towards the door defiantly before diving under the bed.

Seconds after he feet disappeared from view, Rex's door banged open and his father stalked in.

Rex braced himself to take whatever happened now with one more complication.

Melissa was in the room with him, just like he'd always imagined.

But instead of friendship, _vengeance was on her mind_.


	10. Tears

Chapter Ten:

Melissa huddled under the cramped bed and watched as the bottom of dirty brown boots trudged purposefully into the room. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, clutching her churning stomach. This had been a bad idea, coming here, but in her anger she had had no choice. She couldn't let Rex stay here, being degraded everyday! That would be cruel, and Melissa was anything _but _cruel.

The boots came to a stop right near her head.

"You're awake." A voice growled.

"Yes." Rex answered icily. A loud thwacking noise rang.

"Don't speak to me boy." The voice above spat.

Rex softly whimpered somewhere above her.

Melissa closed her eyes, so angry. Why was she just sitting here while Rex was getting hit? She should be out there whaling on the guy!

"Don't cry boy. You're weak. Act like a man!" the voice commanded.

"I'm not crying." Rex whispered.

SMACK!

More whimpering followed.

"Stand up." Rex's father ordered.

The springs of the bed creaked as the body resting on it moved.

Melissa bit her lip. She could feel Rex's fear overpowering the pounding thoughts of his father. She imagined him shaking and about to cry.

"Rex, don't give in." she breathed. Why was he complying so easily to the man? Was he really that afraid?

Suddenly the sound of skin against skin erupted in her ears. She squeezed her eyes tighter and clapped her hands over her ears so the sickening sounds would be muffled. Images came to mind of fists and Rex whimpering.

The sound went on for what felt like forever. Melissa felt like crying. How could anybody do that to their child? Anger bit at her chest, an urge to do something, _anything_, to help her friend, she needed to, it was her _duty._

But the chaos just raged in her mind as she held herself still, her anger resisting her will power.

How did Rex put up with this?

Melissa lay on the ground, curled into a protective ball, trying not to cry or kill Rex's dad, and waiting for it to end, wanting it to end, but knowing the end was no where near.

Somebody was hurting Rex and there was nothing she could do about it.


	11. Pain

Chapter Eleven:

Rex knew only pain as his evil, evil father delivered his beating.

His father's fist flew everywhere as he lay, curled in a ball on the ground. His whole body already ached and tears were unwillingly falling down his face. This was so much worse then lsat nights. Rex wondered if his being sick had anything to do with it.

And, of course, Melissa was sitting right there next to him, overhearing everything, his pitiful crying, his father's punding and every sour thing that came from the man's mouth.

He wondered what she was thinking. No doubt she was angry. He just hoped she wouldn't do anything rash while under rage's all-controlling spell.

Rex spared a fearful look up at his father. His twisted, angry, drunk face was inches from Rex, his blood-shot eyes filled with pure hatred.

_He hated Rex._

Suddenly, his father grabbed Rex's shoulders and sharply pulled him centimeters from his own face. "What's wrong?" he hissed meanly. "Why are you crying Rex?"

Rex stared back, embarrassed about his tears, but the pain was too much and his vocal chords were all tied up…

His father violently shook him by the shoulders while growling, "Quit crying Rex."

But he couldn't. Any other beating he would have been able to, but this one was too painful, too intense…

Suddenly his head collided with the baseboard of his bed. Stars danced before his eyes and pain shot out to all his nerves. His tears increased.

And then it happened again and again and Rex realized his father was doing this on purpose and it hurt so bad…

"Quit crying Rex, stop it."

Goodbye, Rex thought as he felt the pain turn to numbness and spread throughout his body. His vision blurred and turned black as he limply gave away the use of his muscles. The one thought he had before complete blackout was that of complete bliss…

_There was no pain in the void._


	12. Empty

Chapter Twelve:

Melissa's eyes flew open as she saw Rex's head fall back with a smack against the ground. He lay completely motionless, not twitching and his father loomed over his body and laughed. He _laughed_.

"Stupid boy." He muttered and turned away.

_Oh no_, Melissa thought, _he killed Rex!!!!_

Melissa's constricted anger bared its fangs and leapt into her throat. She couldn't sit there. Anger made her leap out from under the bed, thoughts of various tortures racing though her head, vengeance in every muscle of her body, in every crevice if her brain.

_Nobody hurt Rex._

Rex's dad turned back around when he heard her loud feet thump the ground. His eyes narrowed upon seeing her. He took in everything, the black hair, the black dress, the combat boots, and the gloves. He seemed to be evaluating her, testing her with some unwritten standard.

"Who are you?" he snarled.

Melissa couldn't answer except for a low growl of anger deep in her throat.

"What are you doing here?"

Another growl rose up from deep inside Melissa.

"Get out!"

Melissa slowly stepped forward, every move intense, and every curve in her body lethal. When she was only two feet away she slowly took off her glove and dropped it to the ground.

"Nobody hurts Rex." She hissed.

Before the man could do anything, Melissa did what she came to do. She was inside his mind, overpowering it, her hate rushing through it.

The man hated Rex. He was so prissy, always reading. He deserved everything given to him. Everything. Rex was his shame, his unwanted son, and his unwanted child. So he beat him to make him tough, manly.

Melissa ground her teeth at the thoughts. What an evil man. She reached out a tendril of her own mind and tried to smooth out the hateful memories, make things better for Rex. Help him.

But Rex's father's thoughts kept pouring in.

_Rex was unwanted._

_Rex was hated._

_Rex deserved to be beaten._

_Rex was an idiot._

_Rex deserved to die._

Melissa couldn't control her anger. Hateful thoughts poisoned the man's mind. Rex was dead here, in the man's mind. In his own _father's _mind.

Melissa snaked her mind out, trying to use pain to drive out the evil. She felt her mind pressing too hard against his, but she felt no remorse. She knew that in his waking state he would feel it, but she didn't care. All the pain he got was worth it. He deserved it.

Nobody hurt Rex.

Suddenly, Melissa felt something in the old man's mind snap. His mind and memories began unraveling. Melissa drew her hand back in shock. What was happening? The man crumpled to the ground…

When Melissa shakily laid a hand on rex's father's forehead, there was nothing inside it. Melissa had pushed too hard. She had left the man insane, empty, a vegetable.

Melissa turned, climbed through the window, and ran home.


	13. Glove

Chapter Thirteen:

Rex opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the pain. His head ached and his whole body felt like a ripped open, stuffing coming out punching bag (a true description really).

The next thing he noticed was his father, lying in the fetal position on the ground. That was so weird, Rex almost laughed but that would hurt, he was sure.

Rex gathered his remaining energy in his muscles and crawled over to his father. He stared at him. His father's eyes were glazed over and drool was hanging over his lip. Something wasn't right.

The last thing he noticed was the glove, dark black and lying in the middle of the floor, two feet from his father.

_Melissa's glove._

And he remembered her touching him and ripping open his mind, and her demonic smile when she had promised to help him. Her anger…

This is what she had been planning to do, get inside his father's head, but in her anger she must have pushed too hard.

Rex tossed the glove under his bed before calling shakily, "Mom, come her now!"


	14. Secret

Chapter Fourteen:

Melissa swiped the tears away from her face. She couldn't cry. She may have just made somebody into a vegetable but she couldn't cry. Crying showed weakness, and weakness wasn't good at all. Her sobs racked her body harder as she remembered telling Rex that just this morning. But she couldn't cry, even if the man she drove insane abused her best friend and deserved it.

_She'd just made a guy a vegetable._

She peered at her bedside clock and it took a minute for the blurry vision of tears to let her see that it was 11:53. Seven minutes to midnight. Melissa picked herself up off her bed and opened her window. The need to go to Rex, to apologize, to explain. Melissa clambered out the window and dropped down to the ground. Her parentals wouldn't notice if she left a few minutes before they became stiffs.

Melissa pulled her headphones on, more to drown out her own thoughts then anyone else's.

Melissa didn't run this time, she couldn't. Crying took a ton of energy out of her. So she walked quickly and quietly to Rex's house, trying on the way to compose herself. By the time she reached his house, it was already midnight and she had stopped crying, but upon seeing him waiting for her in the front yard she collapsed into tears again.

"Rex, I'm so sorry…I was trying to help you…but pushed…too hard…and now…your dad…" she babbled. Rex looked at her and a shadow of a grin flickered on his face. "Calm down Cowgirl. It's okay."

"No it's not Rex. Your dad is a vegetable thanks to me!"

Rex smiled sadly. "And I thank you for that. Because of you I'm saved."

"I was just trying to smooth out that hate…but there was so much…and it overwhelmed me…I'm so sorry!!!"

"Hush Cowgirl."

She stopped rambling and fell silent on his command.

"Cowgirl, it's fine. Mom's freaked out, but its fine." He told her calmly.

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

Melissa sighed. She knew he was trying to make her feel better like he always did, she could taste it, but underneath he was frightened by her power.

"I need control." She whispered, giving up.

Rex cocked an eyebrow. "Yes you do." He agreed.

"No more touching people."

"I agree." He commented.

"Until I get control of my anger."

Rex looked at her and nodded.

"I'll help." He murmured, stroking her gloved hand. He turned it and opened it, palms facing up. He pressed her other glove into it and closed her hand gently around it. Melissa smiled blearily through her tears.

"Thanks Rex." She murmured.

Rex smiled and turned to go. Melissa did too, but stopped and spun around again.

"Rex." She called. Rex whipped around. "Don't tell anyone about this, please. If there happens to be other Midnighters in the future or we make other friends and they find out about my powers, don't tell anyone about what I did."

"Don't worry Cowgirl, I promise." He called back.

Satisfied, Melissa spun around. She may have just made a man empty and gone completely deranged with anger but she would always have Rex there to help her, no matter what.


	15. One month later

One month later…

Dess stood with Rex and Melissa on a gorgous snowy day. The snow had frozen at midnight, creating a white blanket that draped over everything.

Today, she had found out that the blue time was not just a recurring dream. Today she had found Rex and Melissa in the blue time. She knew they weren't part of her dream. This was real. The math added up (a.k.a. she had never heard them speak before, therefore in her real dreams they wouldn't have been able to speak).

Rex had said he had something called the Focus that allowed him to identify her as what he called a Midnighter, somebody who lived during the frozen world at midnight.

Melissa had said that she could taste midnight in Dess. _Okay_, she thought, _watch out for that one_.

But she had found friends, she was sure of it. People she could share all her math and thoughts with and they would actually listen and care unlike everyone else in school, and somebody who would share their thoughts with her.

Rex said he had to get back home, something about his dad and pills.

"What about your mom? Couldn't she give them to him?" Dess asked.

Rex shook his head. "She left." He whispered softly.

"Oh." Dess said embarrassed. "Well bye then." She muttered.

As she walked off to her house through the white snow she smiled to herself, friends at last.

Melissa turned to Rex as they walked away from Dess. Melissa had found a ton of numbers in her mind that night, and she was about to ask Rex and his knowledge of lore about it, but a more important thing came to mind.

"Are we going to tell her?" she asked.

Rex glanced at her, still getting control over the emotions inside him from mentioning his mom leaving, and muttered. "I promised I wouldn't Cowgirl."

Melissa nodded, peace resting in her well- controlled chest and she walked with Rex into the snow, both hearts beating to keep their secret, together.


	16. Author's Note

**Hey, Ruby Thorn here. I'm done with this fanfic, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I am going to be writing 2 sequels to this story, the next one seeing how Dess helps them in Midnight and the third with Jonathon. So ya, stay tuned. **

**-Ruby **


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